


The most important trip

by XaverianQueenChrissy



Series: Family affairs [5]
Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:04:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XaverianQueenChrissy/pseuds/XaverianQueenChrissy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only twenty five meters, but it was the longest twenty five meters Haruka has ever had to walk. She had waited too long for this moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The most important trip

All her life,  Haruka  had been reminded to breathe. In the pool throughout her childhood and early teen years, in the delivery room when she gave birth to her son at the age of eighteen, and even now at the age of twenty one.  Though she was a swimmer, she was still forgetting to do the most important task on land.

" Haruka , deep breaths," her mother instructed, "you're going to end up passing out."

Haruka  winced as she attempted to breathe more deeply as she was being laced into her gown.

"What if this doesn't work out?" she mumbled.

Mrs.  Nanase  halted halfway through lacing up her daughter's dress.

" Nanase Haruka , I raised you better than that. You know better than to think he would do anything but love you unconditionally. That boy is in love with you, and I can guarantee he's just as nervous as you are, so I suggest you settle down and stop thinking so irrationally."

As the older woman continues delicately lacing up the gown,  Haruka  took a few deep breaths and took a good look at herself in the mirror.

There had been delays in the wedding due to  Rin's  training; giving  Haruka  three years to lose her baby weight. She was back to her old size, with beautiful curves and lean muscle gracing her features. She stood five foot six in an organza beaded mermaid gown, her long dark hair pulled from her face into a secure bun  with her bangs delicately falling in front of her forehead, the tips grazing her long ebony eyelashes. Tears pricked her eyes.

"My dreams are coming true, mom."

Mrs.  Nanase  smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes more prominent with age.

"My dreams are coming true too. I get to witness my baby girl all grown up and marrying the man of her dreams. I have fulfilled my duty as a mother."

"Mom, you're sounding like  Rin ."

The two laughed as  Haruka's  mother went into the next room, her heels clicking on the wood floor.  Haruka  was left with her bridesmaids; friends from school, mostly. Gou, of course, was the maid of  honour , the pale blue dress hugging her curves as she put down her small bouquet of cherry blossoms before picking up the garter.

"Leg up," she instructed.  Haruka  complied, lifting her left leg to allow the band to slide up her leg and secure at her thigh.

"Are you ready for this?"  she asked, "I mean, my brother isn't exactly husband material..."

Haruka  laughed, "everyone has their flaws. I've learned to love  Rin's ."

Mrs.  Nanase  returned with the veil and a very eager  Toraichi  wrapped around her leg. He was dressed in a little suit with his hair combed back neatly, making the bridesmaids squeal in delight.

"oh my gosh, he's so cute!"  Chigusa  squealed excitedly, " Haruka , your son is too precious!"

"Mommy!" he shouted excitedly, letting go of his grandmother's leg and dashing over to his mother.

"Careful with mommy's dress!"  Haruka  scolded, scooping up the toddler. At the age of three, he was a curious and somewhat messy little boy.

"Mommy, you're  sooooo  pretty," he cooed, looking over his mother with sparkling crimson eyes.

She laughed, "somebody's in a good mood."

"Yeah! You and daddy are getting married today!"

"That's right! "  Haruka  cooed, "and you're going to bring mommy and daddy our wedding rings, right?"

The toddler nodded gleefully, happy he got to be a part of this big celebration.

Another head poked its way in the room, and  Haruka's  mother moved out of their way, hands still full of material. It was  Rin's  mother, crimson hair pinned up and out of her face and wearing a sleek purple dress.

"Oh  Haruka , you look so lovely!" she awed at her future daughter-in-law, "that style is so fitting for you."

She smiled, "thank you!"

"But our ride is here, we have to get going or we'll be late."

Haruka  nodded in agreement, "Will you hold your grandson while I finish getting ready?"

Mrs. Matsuoka complied, taking the squirmy toddler from the bride's arms.

"My goodness, he's looking more and more like my late husband every time I see him!"

Toraichi  snuggled into his grandmother's chest.

"He's missing his nap,"  Haruka  explained, "I hope he won't get too cranky."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Mrs.  Nanase  reassured her daughter, "turn around so I can put the veil on you."

Haruka  turned to face the mirror as her mother gently secured the veil in place. Mrs.  Nanase  immediately started tearing up."

"Mom..."  Haruka's  mother very rarely lost her composure; being the wife of a successful businessman, she had to keep her cool.

"I'm sorry...you're just...so beautiful..."

Haruka  wrapped her arms around her mother, "I love you mom."

"I love you too. Now let's get going."

Rin  stood in his own dressing room, nervous as hell. His suit fit him perfectly, but he was still adjusting his collar every so often; palms clamming up.  Sousuke  slapped him roughly on the back, laughing.

"Relax, you look like your life is about to end!"

"Shut up!"  Rin  complained, coughing heavily.

"Besides, everyone knows your life ended the day you p ut the bun in her oven."

Rin  stuck his tongue out at his best friend, "at least I got laid in the past year."

The other groomsmen  snickered at that.  Sousuke  blushed.

"Alright, alright, you win. Come on, we're going to be late."

The clock chimed two o'clock. The church went quiet as the music started.  Rin  was already at the altar, shifting nervously. The bridesmaids were gathered behind the grand doors, already in position. They made their way down the aisle, joined by one of the groomsmen. At the end of the line, behind her son and one of her young female cousins, was  Haruka , glowing with happiness behind the thin gauze of her veil. She clung nervously to her father's arm.

"Deep breaths,  Haruka ," he reassured her, " Rin's  at the altar, everyone else is in their place, you'll be fine. You're a  Nanase , you're a strong woman."

She gave him a small smile, "thanks dad."

"I was hoping I'd have a few more years left with my little girl," he confessed, "but you grew up faster than I thought."

"I'll always be your little girl."

He  teared  up, a sight  Haruka  had never seen before. 

"I suppose you're right."

There was a shift in tempo, and  Haruka  knew it was her turn to go. She squeezed her father's arm again as her heeled feet click clacked gently on the tile floor. All eyes were on her, and she blushed deeply, holding tightly to her father, clinging to her bouquet. When she finally lifted her eyes up to look forward, she saw  Rin . His jaw was slack, his eyes wide in awe, a stupid grin pasted on his face.  Haruka  couldn't help but giggle to herself. Her  fiance  was such a goofball.

Well, in a few minutes he would be her husband.

Her heart hammered in her chest at the sudden realization that this was actually happening. When she leaves this church, she will be Mrs. Matsuoka. This was no longer a middle school fantasy, this was reality. As she got closer and closer to the front of the altar, she realized just how long this journey was. It was about twenty five meters down the aisle, but it was the longest twenty five meters she's ever walked in her life. She walked twenty five meters back and forth up and down the corridors in the hospital in Tokyo three years ago, and at the time it was agonizing, but not nearly as long as this.  Haruka  had waiting too long for this moment.

Finally, they arrived. She felt her father gently pry her off his arm, and she looked at him in alarm until she saw his tender smile as he delicately lifted up her veil and kissed her cheek.

"I love you  Haruka ."

"I love you too dad."

He took his daughter's hand and placed it in  Rin's .

"Take care of my little girl," he instructed.

Rin  bowed his head, "I promise."

He squeezed  Haruka's  hand, and she looked over and smiled at him.

"You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear before the ceremony started, and  Haruka's  cheeks were permanently stained pink.

The wedding went off without a hitch,  Rin  cried, but that didn't surprise anybody. They shoved cake in each other's faces, danced like goofs, and when the bouquet and garter were tossed, the lucky recipients were Makoto and Gou, who blushed furiously as  Rin  nearly blew a fuse.

"Matsuoka Gou, you don't need to get married you know!" he stammered on, "I mean, boys are nothing but trouble and yes Makoto has a cute face but behind it are lies! He just wants to take away your innocence."

Gou rolled her eyes and whispered in  Haruka's  ear, "he thinks I'm still a virgin after dating Makoto for five years."

The two women giggled, setting  Rin  off once again.

By the end of it all,  Haruka  and  Rin  went to their hotel room above the venue. They would catch their flight to Hawaii tomorrow, so  Toraichi  was staying with  Haruka's  parents in Kyoto.

"Help me out of this?"  Haruka  asked, referring to her dress.

Rin  yawned and undid her dress. She slipped it off and tossed it aside, choosing instead to throw on the pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt laid out for her by her mother.

"Too tired for sex," she murmured, flopping on the bed.

"Same,"  Rin  replied, joining her after stripping down to his boxers.

" Wanna  cuddle?" she suggested.

"Hell fucking yes."

It was definitely the best ending to the best day of  Haruka Nanase's  life.

Well,  Haruka  Matsuoka's life.


End file.
